Hasbro Mans Up: “Gender-Neutral” Easy-Bake Oven for Boys and Girls Debuts Next Year

Responds to eighth grader’s campaign for her younger brother

Eighth-grader McKenna Pope took to the interwebs a few weeks ago to launch a campaign to get Hasbro to make an Easy-Bake Oven that boys and girls could play with. When her younger brother, Gavyn, asked for one as a Christmas present, McKenna and her parents found it “quite appalling” that the machines only featured girls in ads and on the packaging, with decidedly “girly” color schemes of pink and purple.

We’d reached out and got a statement from Hasbro last week, which pointed out that they had made “gender-neutral” versions in the past, but that market research showed that “the primary interest in the Easy-Bake Oven comes from girls.” Regardless, they invited McKenna and her family to Hasbro HQ to meet with the Easy-Bake team and discuss their concerns.

After making the trip to Pawtucket, RI, the family was shown a black, blue, and silver prototype that Hasbro has been developing for the past 18 months. McKenna tells the LA Times: “I think that they really met most or even all of what I wanted them to do, and they really amazed me.” She also reported that Gavyn thought the preliminary design was “awesome.” Hasbro says that they will be unveiling the design at an industry show in February, and consumers can expect to see it on shelves come summer 2013. And yes, there will be boys in the commercials.

Related Content

if i had a son and he wanted an easy bake oven. a red flag would go up, next he would like a baby doll, than a short skirt with tight. not in this world

http://www.randyclemens.com Randy Clemens

How sad to keep something from someone for such a reason. As a boy who fell in love with baking at 13, grew to graduate culinary school, eventually to become a pastry chef, then a food writer… all without ever wanting baby dolls or a short skirt with tight[s]… lemme be the first to tell ya: get over it! Let people be people.

WOW, how closed minded are you? i know this bit of news maybe a shocker to you, so sit down…..some of the BEST chefs in the world are MEN! MY GOD! WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN!!! you poor unfortunate woman. im surprised your husband let you out of the kitchen to write that outrageous comment. id hurry back before he catches you.

Gayle H

It doesn’t matter what color the oven is, if they want to play let them play. My husband does most of the cooking in our house now and its great. We have 4 boys and 4 girls aged from 28-3 and they all have played in the kitchen and WITH dolls, even wore pink shirts, no red flags from any of them, all well adjusted, the boy that liked pink most was the first one married, to a girl! Playing with dolls helps you learn how to take care of babies or others, helps you develope a caring nature it’s not harmfull. Look around when you go out, how many men are taking care of their children? how many restaurants have male chefs? Hopefully before you have a son you open your mind because it sounds like you have a stereotype problem.

Truthis

@yvonne Mitchell. U bitch

Johanna

My 6 yr old son enjoys cooking more than his 7 yr old sister… he helps me cook all the time. He received a slurpee maker and she received the easy bake oven from a family member for christmas. They both love them and use both. My son could care less that it is purple and girly. If I had only a son I would be hesitant to get him the machine as is so I think it is great they are making a boyish version – now only if they could make one that cooked mini cupcakes instead of micro cupcakes!!

Susan Dolly

Im a chef and my son wants to be just like mama, most all of the kid kitchen stuff is pink. I know most places are pro guy, and being a girl in a guys world, girls really need to “man up”. So me being me says screw that, I bought him real kitchen tools. So them making boy color is awesome. He is my lil sous chef. This will just make him better. So excited!

tanis

I have an “easy bake” oven that I bought years ago for my boys, it’s green and purple, one story. It’s purpose was to cook gummie spiders and such. If I remember correctly it cooked cakes as well.